


12 Years Later

by Writer_Geekgirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Compliant, Castiel/Dean Winchester Anniversary, Coda, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:54:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26523274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_Geekgirl/pseuds/Writer_Geekgirl
Summary: Dean and Castiel spend their 12th anniversary on a starlit hill. They discuss their feelings for each other.This is canon compliant and a coda for Ep15X13.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	12 Years Later

Castiel found Dean sitting relaxed against the tree on a hill to the bunker, looking up at the stars. Dean said, "Hi, Cas," without looking up. He knew who it was by the swishing of the trench coat and the sound of his footsteps, plus he could always feel grace emanating from Castiel whenever he came close. He never asked Sam if he felt it. Sam would overthink it and try to figure out what caused it. Dean preferred to think of it as his angel detection radar, but it only ever worked with Castiel.

"Hello, Dean," Castiel responded in a gruff voice. He sat next to Dean so close that Dean could feel the heat emanating from Castiel through the trench coat. Castiel handed him a beer and took a sip of his own beer. "I thought you might want one of these."

"12 years ago today, we met," Dean said softly. "You came into the barn and scared the shit out of me and Bobby."

Castiel smiled at him wryly, "I was so full of righteousness I wanted to make a big entrance so you would be suitably impressed before I told you God had work for you to do. The sparks, the lights, the thunder, completely unnecessary. But since you couldn't hear my real voice without dying, I wanted to impress you in other ways."

Dean snorted and took a sip of his beer, "It was damn impressive, Cas. But I thought you were a total dick."

Castiel huffed a small laugh, "I was a total dick. You weren't wrong. I just can't understand how I could be duped by the archangels. God didn't want you to do jack. The archangels just wanted to jump-start the apocalypse to get our Father's attention. I had doubts then. I should have listened to them."

"There's little I would change on this wacky joyride we’ve been on, Cas. Except for some people we could have saved and didn't. Charlie, Bobby, Kevin, Mom. But I'm damn glad you’ve been by side through all of it."

"I have no regrets about rebelling. I much rather be down here with you than with the angels. Humans are much more likable. I obviously wish I made better choices on the journey about who I should trust." Castiel met Dean's eyes and they stared at each other for several minutes. 

Dean cleared his throat and broke the silence, "It's all water under the bridge. At least we got Jack back."

"He's very concerned you won't forgive him."

"Sam did bad things without a soul. I forgave Sam. He lost his soul to protect us. I know Jack didn't mean to hurt Mom. My brain knows it; my heart just hasn't gotten the memo yet."

Castiel put his hand on Dean's knee. "You are very forgiving. You forgave me for unleashing the leviathan on the Earth, for deceiving you about Crowley, for being tricked by Metatron, for letting Lucifer in…"

Dean stared at the hand on his knee before answering, "Like I said, water under the bridge, Cas. You did your best. We all had to make terrible choices. What was it you once said? As long as you made mistakes for the right reasons, it's all that matters."

"At the end of the day, we can only do our best. The next day we try to do better."

Dean put his hand on top of Castiel's, "When we get on the other side of this thing with Chuck, what are you going to do? Stay on Earth?"

"I hope I can. Dean, I want nothing more than to spend my life with you. All of you. You, Sam, and Jack are my family. I will not leave you voluntarily. But we don't always get want we want or deserve. What are your plans?"

"A long vacation. You, me, and Sam on a beach with toes in the sand. We'll wear matching Hawaiian shirts and drink those little fruity drinks with umbrellas in them."

"You mean the drinks like Crowley used to drink? No thanks. I don’t like those. The rest sounds wonderful. I've never really gone to a beach just to enjoy being on a beach. The world is different when I'm with you."

"We're getting positively sappy, Cas."

Castiel smiled at him, "I’m old. Once in a while, I deserve to be sappy."

"I want to retire, Cas. I mean it. You and me, Sam and Eileen. We just get two houses side-by-side in some generic small town. We mow the grass. We have backyard barbeques and invite some of the neighbors. I get to work on cars. And you…. You do whatever it is you want to do. Raise bees? I don't know."

Tears shone in Castiel's eyes, "I would love nothing more than to have that life with you."

"We could have Halloween candy to give out. We could scare the crap out of teenagers, but not the little ones. We could visit Garth and you could meet his Castiel. He stares at me weirdly. We could have this, Cas. If we can just get on the other side of Chuck."

Castiel choked back a sob, "All we need to do is defeat God and save a universe. A piece of cake, Dean."

"We've muddled our ways through another cataclysmic apocalypse. Why should we expect any less than this time? I have faith in you, me, and Sam."

"You two do pull off amazing feats. You always surpass my expectations. There are been no other humans like you in all my millennia. You're special, Dean, I hope you know that. You have more heart than any other man I've met. That's what pulls us through."

Dean smiled at him, "Alfie told me you had too much heart and that was always your problem. I think that's what makes you so special. You're just… a ray of sunshine in an overcast and gloomy day. A flashlight in a wendigo cave. A streetlight on a dark, deserted street corner. The peanut butter in a Reese's cup. The apple in the pie. The gas in Baby's tank."

"Stop it, Dean, before I became the patty in your hamburger."

"You're more like ketchup."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Now you are calling me a vegetable."

"Ketchup doesn't really count as a vegetable, Cas."

Castiel's eyes narrowed, "So you and Claire lied to me? I thought you said no more lies."

"To be fair, I told you that while I had the Mark of Cain. Can I blame it on that?"

"Can I refuse you anything?"

Dean bopped him on the end of the nose, "I'm adorable."

"You're annoying."

"But, Cas. You love me anyway. Because I loveable."

Castiel pressed his forehead against Dean and growled in a low voice, "Only sometimes are you loveable. Other times you are annoying, and I want to throttle you. But I do love you. You're my family."

Dean could feel Castiel's hot breath on his face. He asked quietly, "The same way you love Sam?"

"No, you and I have always and will always share a much more profound bound." Castiel eased away from Dean and stood up. "You should get some sleep. We don't know what happens next. We need to be vigilant."

Dean stood up next to him. "Yeah. Sleep."

Castiel put his hand on Dean's left shoulder, "I need you to promise something, Dean. I need you to promise me this."

Dean stared deeply into his eyes, feeling apprehensive. "What Cas?"

"If I don't make through this, promise me that you'll let me go. That you'll go live that life you described for both of us. All I want is for you to be happy. You deserve that, you've given so much. Please promise me. We can't save everyone, my friend."

"I won't leave you."

"And I'll do my absolute best not to leave you, Dean. But if I do, let me go. I'm fighting for the world, and I'm fighting for us too. But, most of all, I’m fighting for you. Metatron was right. It was really all about one human."

"I care a lot for you, Cas. I'm not sure you know how much."

Castiel smiled softly, "I heard your prayer."

"No, Cas. I need to put it into words."

Castiel looked at him apprehensively, "All right, Dean."

Dean leaned towards Castiel and kissed him softly, "I love you, Cas."

Castiel kissed him back, trying to push the swell of happiness down. "I know."

"Did you just Han Solo me, Cas?"

Castiel smiled at him crookedly, "Yes, yes. I did."

"I should have never made you watch the Star Wars movies with me." Dean snorted.

"I love you, Dean."

Dean smiled back at him widely.

Castiel smirked, "Dean, this is the part you say 'I know.' Princess Leia responded with that after Han said it first."

"Wait, does that mean you're Han Solo in this scenario and I'm Leia?"

"Maybe…" Castiel trailed off with a smug look.

Dean shrugged, "That works. She was the only Skywalker that had her shit together. And she became the General. I'm good with Leia."

"Sam can be Chewbacca."

"Sambacca?" Dean laughed, "Works for me."

Castiel brushed his lips against Dean's lightly. "We should head inside."

"You got to promise me something too, Cas."

Castiel looked at him warily, "What?"

"If I don't make it out the other side, don't blame yourself. You blame yourself for so much. As you said to me, you can't save everyone."

"Dean, I'll find where you are, and I'll stay with you. Whether it's Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory."

"Or the Empty?"

Castiel internally shuddered, "Even there, Dean. I’m personally hoping for Purgatory."

"Purgatory would be ok. We could take on Eve and defeat her and the leviathan. Then, we could move into a nice cave. We could figure out how to make beer and barbeque critters." Dean snaked an arm around Castiel's waist, "We could live a relatively nice life in Monsterville."

Castiel laughed, "Can we not invite the neighbors to the barbeque?"

"That’s a reasonable request. I'll take it under advisement. And Cas?"

"Yes, Dean?"

"Happy anniversary.”

“You too, Dean.”

“And Cas?”

“What?”

Don't ever change."


End file.
